Teachers Go If Tax Goes, Education Leaders Warn

Three top Central Florida educators said Thursday that students and teachers would pay dearly and the quality of education would suffer if the new state sales tax on services were repealed.

A repeal or any adjustment to the tax without replacing lost revenues ''would be a calamity,'' said James Schott, Orange County school superintendent.

''It is not our intention to threaten the people,'' Schott said, ''but most of this money goes to personnel and there is no way to avoid cutting teachers.''

Schott, Trevor Colbourn, president of the University of Central Florida, and Paul Gianini, president of Valencia Community College, said at a news conference that their schools collectively would lose at least $20 million in fiscal year 1987-88.

Gov. Bob Martinez has called a special legislative session starting Monday to consider either repealing the recent services tax, replacing it with another tax or leaving things as they are.

Schott said the $14 million his system would lose is 68 percent of new state money ticketed for his general fund. He raised the specter of fewer teachers, larger classes, reduced instructional materials and a shorter school year.

Colbourn said UCF would lose $4.1 million, or 7.2 percent of what the state provides.

He said this could force the university to reduce its enrollment by 2,500, mostly at the expense of entering freshmen and would-be junior college transfers. It could also mean dismissing adjunct and part-time professors.

Gianini said slashing nearly $2 million from his $18.9-million state share would be ''an immediate and profound blow to the college.'' He said Valencia would face such measures as closing courses and limiting enrollment.